1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a device for classifying solid particles, such as toner for use in electrophotography, into coarse and fine particles.
2. Description of Prior Art
One commercially available device for removing fine toner particles is shown in FIG. 1 (DISPERSION SEPARATOR manufactured by Japan Pneumatic Inc.). This device includes a dispersing chamber 102, a feed port 101 for feeding a jet stream composed of toner particles and a carrier gas into the dispersing chamber 102 in the direction tangential to the inside periphery of the cylindrical housing, and classifying chamber 103 connected to the bottom of the dispersing chamber 102. The toner particles introduced in a tangential direction into the dispersing chamber 102 are circumferentially distributed or dispersed and are passed to the classifying chamber 103, where the solid particles are separated by centrifugal force into relatively coarse particles an relatively fine particles. The coarse particles are collected in a collecting chamber 105 as a product, while the fine particles are discharged through a pipe 104 connected to an evacuating deice (not shown).